Quantum Schism
The Arbor floated in Earth's orbit, its silhouette a fragile needle of hope against the vast expanse of stars. The planet below, scarred from war but resilient, seemed to breathe slowly, its surface pulsing with threads of recovery. Thin wisps of WoodDust—shimmering gold particles that defied dimensional logic—danced around Emma Forrest's fingertips as her palm pressed against the cool viewport glass.
"They're calling you a hero down there," Lucas said, his voice soft but steady. His reflection flickered beside hers in the glass, exhaustion lining his face, though kindness still shone in his blue eyes.
Emma didn't turn. "And how many died so I could earn that title?"
"You know the count," Lucas replied, stepping closer but hesitating before his hand could brush hers. "Four thousand, eight hundred and twelve. But without you, it would've been billions."
Emma's laugh was bitter, sharp. "Numbers don't make it easier."
"They're not supposed to," Lucas said quietly.
Emma finally turned, her hazel eyes meeting his. The WoodDust swirled intensely around her hand, reacting to the emotions she couldn't fully suppress. Lucas reached toward her instinctively, but Emma stepped back, her voice taut.
"Don't," she whispered. "I'm still… unstable."
A heavy silence settled between them, the unspoken weight of grief and impossible choices lingering in the room. Below them, Earth rotated slowly, unaware of the scars still raw within its defenders.
The intercom crackled, breaking the stillness. Markus's voice, gruff but composed, filled the space. "Team meeting in five."
Emma straightened her posture, forcing the weight from her shoulders. "We'll be there."
---
In the command center, the surviving crew assembled around the holographic display. Markus stood at the edge of the circle, his arms crossed, the alien Bastion shield slung across his back like a relic from a bygone age. His neatly trimmed beard failed to conceal the exhaustion etched into his features.
"Status report," Emma said, her voice calm but commanding.
Chloe didn't look up, her focus pinned to the console as her fingers danced across its interface. A plasma rifle—modified with recovered K'tharr technology—rested against her chair, ready if needed. "The Touched are… weird," she said bluntly.
"Weird how?" Lucas asked, pulling up a secondary display.
"They're rebuilding Earth," Chloe explained. "Helping survivors. But they're distant. It's like… like they're listening for something." She glanced up, brushing a strand of dark hair from her face. "Their neural patterns—they're off. Unified, almost. And they're scared."
Emma frowned. "Scared of what?"
Chloe hesitated. "That's the part I can't figure out."
Before Emma could press further, Aisha entered, her scanner lighting up with data. "Commander," she said urgently. "I've detected unusual fractal energy patterns from the Andromeda Galaxy."
"Show me," Emma ordered.
Aisha swiped her scanner, sending the data to the central hologram. The display twisted into fractal geometries—shifting, pulsing shapes that defied logical perception. As the crew studied the anomaly, the hologram glitched, the patterns warping into something… wrong.
"This isn't natural," Aisha whispered, her brow furrowed deeply. Her head tilted slightly, her expression shifting. "Do you hear that?"
Markus tensed, his hand instinctively brushing his weapon. "Hear what?"
"A hum," Aisha said. "A vibration. Inside my mind."
Gray appeared on a side screen, connecting remotely from his lab. His signature smirk was in place, but his dark eyes betrayed unease. "I've been analyzing the signal," he said. "It's intelligent—and ancient."
"Any matches in the K'tharr database?" Emma asked.
Gray's smirk faded. "One. The Quantum Schism—a civilization classified as Type 4 on the Kardashev scale."
Lucas's incredulous voice cut through the tension. "The K'tharr feared them?"
Gray nodded grimly. "They worshipped them—as gods of suffering."
Emma felt the WoodDust pulse, reacting before she could consciously process her own decision. Tendrils of golden energy extended from her hands, drawn toward the holographic anomaly.
"Commander?" Markus's voice was quiet, but his gaze was locked on her.
Emma straightened, her decision solidified. "Set course for the anomaly. We're going in."
Lucas hesitated. "Shouldn't we consult Earth Command first? We just survived an extinction-level event."
Emma's voice cut through his doubt. "And there might be another coming. If the K'tharr feared this thing, we need to know why. Before it reaches us."
The crew exchanged wary glances, uncertainty swirling in the air. But no one contradicted her.
Chloe nodded, her voice steady. "Setting course. ETA to anomaly perimeter: seventy-two hours."
As the others dispersed, Emma remained before the hologram. The fractal shapes seemed alive, almost watching her. For a moment, she thought she felt the anomaly pulse in sync with her heartbeat.
"How many more?" she whispered, repeating the question that haunted her. This time, the void offered no reply.